Boys Soccer: North Penn falls to Pennsbury on PKs

TOWAMENCIN — Another trip the District One Class AAA quarterfinals, another tough penalty-kick shootout loss for the North Penn boys soccer team.

After the seventh-seeded Knights and visiting No. 15 Pennsbury played 110 minutes to a scoreless draw, the Falcons converted their last four PKs while North Penn missed their final two to fall in the shootout 4-3 Saturday afternoon.

“They deserved it, especially in the PKs. They buried all of them, except the first one,” North Penn senior Jaime Bonner said. “We should of made them and that’s it.”

In a tense contest between the two Suburban One League sides that got chippy a times in the second half, the Knights controlled most of the play and had some solid chances. But in the end, North Penn (15-5-1) could not find the goal to earn its first PIAA Tournament berth since 2004 and lost in the quarters on penalty kicks for the second consecutive season.

“I feel like we had the majority of the possession I would think, we had the majority of the pressure on them,” North Penn coach Paul Duddy said. “To their credit, as I said, they defended us well and limited our good chances in front of goal. So, credit to them for that.”

Last year in the district quarters, North Penn’s season ended with a 4-2 shootout loss to Conestoga, which went on to win both the District One and PIAA Class 3A championships.

The Knights are still alive this season despite Saturday’s defeat thanks to the district now having a fifth bid into the state tournament. North Penn faces either No. 5 Downingtown West or No. 1 West Chester Rustin — if Rustin loses to No. 8 Central Bucks East Saturday night — in the playback semis Tuesday.

“This is history. We’re coming out next week and win both of those games,” Bonner said. “We’ll see them (Pennsbury), maybe, in states again.”

The Falcons — who qualified for the PIAA postseason for the second time in three seasons — meets Abington in the district semifinals Wednesday. The No. 19 Ghosts knocked off No. 6 Neshaminy 2-1 Saturday.

North Penn’s Matt Robinson opened the shootout by putting his shot of the goal after Pennsbury keeper Spencer McCullough got a piece of it. Knights goalie David Selverian then denied Brendan Cooper to put NP up 1-0 after a round.

Both sides made their next two PKs, keeping the Knights up 3-2 before North Penn’s Sean Gorman missed wide right. After Collin Marks pulled the Falcons level with his conversion, Jeff Russell was off-target high – his shot grazing off the crossbar as it ascended – and Stephen Tomaszewski put his try in, giving the Falcons the win.

“I thought we had pressure throughout the game, especially in some spurts when we had the pressure on them for maybe six, eight minutes at a time,” Duddy said. “And we should of put one away in that, so that it should of never gotten to overtime and PKs.”

In the second half, Russell and Alex Evans both had looks at goal, but pushed shots wide before some emotions got a little high. Five yellow cards were handed out between 32:49 and 20:18 — three on North Penn, two on the Falcons — before things calmed down.

“It was frustrating for us, because we tried so hard. We had like 15 chances in a row, we just couldn’t put it in,” Bonner said. “My temper flared, it shouldn’t of flared, but it did. Alex Evans, Robinson we went over the line. We deserved the yellows. Got back in there, made sure we didn’t get another one.”

In the second overtime, Marks got open behind the North Penn defense, but his low shot was saved by Selverian.

Follow staff writer Mike Cabrey on Twitter @mpcabrey.

For breaking news SMS alerts from The Reporter, text LANPSPORTS to 22700 from your mobile phone. Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.